To learn more about how Chef Arturo Quesada makes tacos at Encanto Restaurant & Bar, listen to our podcast, 

Pork Cheek Tacos With Avocado Tomatillo Salsa & Pico De Gallo From Chef Arturo Quesada

This sauce has its origins in an Argentine country club, hence its name. The sauce is also hugely popular in Peru, where it is a favorite accompaniment to seafood, salads, and other cold dishes, like the 

 (pictured). The alcohol can be omitted, if so desired.

Salsa Golf

These tacos were inspired by my husband's love of Hawaiian food and my hankering for flavorful tacos. They combine pan-seared mahi mahi, sweet mango and cilantro salsa, soft avocado slices, crunchy red onion and radicchio, and a drizzle of spicy-tangy mayo. We love the mixture of color, texture, and flavors here, especially on a warm summer evening with a fruity drink or cerveza. Enjoy!

Mahi Mahi and Avocado Tacos with Mango-Cilantro Salsa

This is basically a rustic pantry pasta sauce turned flavor-bomb condiment, and it's pretty versatile: It works as a dip (think bagna cauda or pinzimonio); or tossed with pasta and a little of its cooking water; or to sauce a plate of seared wax beans and assertive greens (such as arugula). I think it would also be the cat's pajamas spread on an open croissant, topped with sliced tomatoes and cheese, and put under the broiler to make an upscale tuna melt. 

The trick is in cooking the jarred tuna with a heady mix of alliums, herbs, aromatics, and white wine. Like broccoli and cauliflower, its cruciferous cousins, radish has a natural affinity for anchovies and butter, so those get thrown into the mix as well. The result is complex and deeply flavorful even before it hits the food processor. Don't forget to reserve the oil the tuna was packed in for adding the pureé later. It adds yet another dimension of flavor.

Zippy Salsa Tonnato (Cold Tuna Sauce)

Salsa Blanca

Papaya and tomatillos with chiles, orange juice, and mint. 

Salsa de Papaya y Tomatillo Cruda

This little green sauce that goes with every grilled or roasted protein in your repertoire. I like to add this to tuna salad, vegetable-based soups, and brothy beans, and spoon it over fried or hard-boiled eggs, too. You could also use it as the dressing for a grain salad or put it out with roasted, boiled, or steamed potatoes (any type, including sweet potatoes). 

Salsa Very Verde

Mushroom tacos are great with just one type, like cremini, but they really shine with a mix of fungi, lending different flavors and textures. My ideal combo is cremini with some shiitakes and oyster mushrooms thrown in, but this filling is beautiful with lion’s mane, maitakes, portobellos, or really any fun farmers market finds. Just stay away from high-ticket varieties like chanterelles and morels because you’ll be adding a lot of spice. While mushrooms are inherently meaty on their own, adding a few choice ingredients—soy sauce, smoked paprika, cumin, and a little dose of lime zest—boosts their umami earthiness and transforms them into the best version of themselves. You could stand at the stove and cook these in batches in a skillet, or you could let the oven do the work. The trick is roasting them at a high temperature and making sure they have space to brown, not steam. The end result is smoky, highly seasoned shroomies that are crisp and caramelized around the edges with a nice tender bite.

Since the mushrooms lack the fattiness of their meaty taco counterparts, like carnitas or carne asada, I love pairing them with a rich, luscious condiment like this creamy chile de árbol salsa. Thickened with soaked cashews and blended with roasted tomatoes, onion, and garlic, this salsa packs a hearty dose of heat, with just enough acidity to cut through the deep earthy flavor of the mushrooms. If you want to make the salsa even spicier, you can increase the amount of chiles de árbol to 30 for hot and 40 for extra fiery. Since developing this recipe, I’ve kept some form of this salsa in my fridge at all times. It livens up eggs in the morning, turns odds and ends of leftovers into an exciting lunch, and, of course, is great on any taco. 

Mushroom Tacos With Creamy Chile de Árbol Salsa

This salsa's genius is four generations deep. When writer and poet Andrea Aliseda started digging into her great-grandma's one-of-a-kind salsa recipe, she had no idea what she'd uncover. (Turns out, Andrea’s mom is a genius, too.) As Andrea wrote for 

, “Some things—eye color, certain talents, traditions, recipes—are inherited from generation to generation. Some things aren’t. For example, I didn’t inherit the love for spicy foods that my mother, Alejandra, has—the woman can eat whole jalapeños the way I scarf down popcorn. Nor did I inherit very many recipes: The only one I know of is this salsa. My paternal great-grandmother, Guillermina, or Guille, taught my mom how to make this salsa shortly after my parents married. It boasts no tomato, tomatillo, or citrus; instead, it’s creamy, earthy, and savory, with a little bite. Because my mom lives for heat, she made it spicy, leaving the seeds from the chile intact, but added an eccentric nutty twist—peanut butter—that tames the bite. But I’ve come along and seeded the serrano chiles, to highlight their flavor without the distraction of the heat and, truthfully, to cater to my sensitive tongue. This savory salsa is the perfect addition to sizzling mushrooms, quesadillas, or nachos. You can dip bread or chips into it, and it’s exceptional with whatever meaty dishes your heart desires.” A few more tips: This salsa will have a gentle heat and lots of grassy flavor from the chiles—if you like spicy food as much as Andrea’s mom, feel free to leave some or all of the seeds and ribs in the chiles. You can also play around with leaving it a bit chunky and guacamole-like, omitting the peanut butter, as Guillermina did. Adapted slightly from Andrea Aliseda’s 

This post contains products independently chosen (and loved) by our editors and writers. As an Amazon Associate, Food52 earns an affiliate commission on qualifying purchases of the products we link to.Hear more about how this recipe came together, from Andrea herself, on our podcast 

Salsa Guille From Andrea Aliseda

This is the taco recipe that made me stop hating tacos, finally. I blitzed up all my leftover cilantro stems, garlic cloves, jalapeños, salt, sugar, and a generous glug of olive oil, and marinated a couple pounds of cut-up, boneless chicken thighs in this herby liqueur. I roasted the chicken in a hot oven, warmed up a soft flour tortilla in the green chicken fat, topped it off with some leftover watermelon I had magicked into a spicy salsa—all doused in hot sauce—and, as Nigella Lawson says, "applied to face." I stood by my stove that day and ate one taco at a time, made a ritual out of the assembly.

Jalapeño-Marinated Chicken Tacos With Watermelon Salsa

This recipe comes from Yotam Ottolenghi's 

. It's probably the sexiest thing that you could ever advertise as "onion salad."

Roasted Onion Salad with Arugula and Walnut Salsa

This combination of bright fruit makes a great appetizer for a wintertime gathering.   Pomegranate arils add tang and texture while persimmon flesh adds sweetness and substance. Rich avocado partly melts into a creamy binder when stirred in. The flavors are brought together with lime juice, shallot, serrano pepper, and a slightly unexpected herb and spice combination. Serve with pita chips or lavash, or consider using in place of a mango or pineapple salsa and serve it with pork chops or chicken.

Winter Fruit Salsa

This is a zippy salsa with many levels of flavor. I've been told you can't open a jar without finishing the entire thing. It's great served with chips, but can also be used to make an enchilada-type casserole for a quick dinner.  It does require a pressure canner for shelf stable pints, but I've also had success freezing in ziplock bags. I've been working on this recipe for awhile and have never shared it before. Please let me know what you think. - MrsWheelbarrow

Roasted Poblano Salsa

We love to add salsas to our proteins this time of year, particularly grilled fish and pork. With a nice variety of fruits and crunchy, chopped vegetables, and just the right balance of hot and sweet, this salsa is a favorite of ours. It comes together quickly, and you can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.

Hot and Sweet Salsa with Tomato, Avocado and Melon

We grill corn and fruit all summer long. Our favorite way to eat the grilled "fruits" of our labors is in the form of corn on the cob, hefty slices of pineapple, and peach halves, all of which are helped along with a bit of olive oil (and a dash of salt and pepper on the corn, too). We always grill more than we can eat in one sitting so that we have enough leftovers to refigure into salads and salsas that we then use to dress up meats, chicken, and fish. 

Here's a salsa that can be prepared the day after a good grilling (and it works the day of, too). The addition of cilantro adds a wonderful, fresh sparkle to the dish. You can eat this as a side, or as a condiment on all sorts of sandwiches and proteins.

Next Day Grilled Corn, Pineapple & Peach Salsa

If I didn't already have a list of reasons I need lots of herbs in my life, Italian Salsa Verde (green sauce) alone would be enough to convince me. More a condiment then a chip dip this Italian version of a green sauce is brilliant on almost anything, from eggs to meatball subs. Take my dinner tonight: salsa verde is outstanding on steak and takes long-cooked kale up a notch. And when I got a little on my baked potato with sour cream, it was no longer a plain old baked potato. It was sublime. My version is not exactly traditional, I am an anchovy lover but in this recipe I left out the anchovies for no other reason then I don't like them in this salsa but add them if you will. Salsa verde is just one use for the many herbs out there. In my garden alone I have tarragon, marjoram, chives, thyme, lovage, sage, oregano, and savory at my fingertips. The basil, dill, rosemary, and lemongrass aren’t far behind. The herb garden is booming. I am reckless with how much I cut and I use the minced leaves with abandon in my cooking. It’s like it rains cilantro or parsley onto each and every plate. Call me a romantic, but I can’t imagine not having these aromatics just outside my kitchen door or at least at my side. Growing and using fresh herbs makes me feel like I am more than a good cook. It is extremely satisfying in a self-reliant way. Besides, I can’t tell you how many times I have kicked myself for buying herbs in the plastic clamshell. I've been gardening for some 15 years, so I buy them rarely–generally only in the deep dark depths of winter when their bright sunshiny taste is most tempting. But it really irks me when I do. This year I managed to keep control of myself. I avoided paying too much or feeling remorseful during the walk of shame to the register. Am I the only one who feels a sense of guilt for buying these? In addition to the high price, I also feel guilty because of the clamshell packaging. I feel the same way about salad greens packaged in this same manner. I know for certain that I don’t feel this way when I buy a small bouquet of herbs or a head of lettuce. Am I right in feeling that herbs and vegetables in clamshells seem unnatural? Imagine that part of your prep is grabbing a pair of scissors and heading to the back door. A small basket in one hand, bees buzzing around the herbs that have blossomed, you run your hand through the lavender, bring your hand to your nose, and inhale the deep aroma. Any tensions or stress you might have drift away with the gentle breeze. One of the best things about herbs, besides being edible, is that anyone, no matter their locale, can grow them. Even the most adamant of city dwellers can have a pot or two on the window making their apartment smell wonderful. Those who live in suburban subdivisions with manicured lawns and association rules can sneak a few into the landscape since many herbs make great ground cover and have beautiful flowers. If all else fails, there is always an herb guy at the greenmarket peddling little bundles of herbs, the good stuff tied with twine or rubber bands that emits an aroma that gets all Pavlov on you. In other words I can’t think of a single reason not to use fresh herbs, in everything and with abandon. As if I needed further convincing, Italian salsa verde remedies any doubts I might have. 

 1. Explore the world of herbs. Diversify and try. Tear off a leaf and taste. If you don't like the flavor, move on. 2. Fresh herbs are generally best when added toward the end of cooking. They freshen up all the other flavors. 3. Not all herbs are universally loved. Lots of people don't like cilantro because it tastes like soap to them. Fresh sage also takes on a soapy flavor if it is left too long in raw, moist foods like hamburgers or sausages. 4. Some people find it easier to use scissors, rather than a knife, to snip and mince their herbs. 5. Some herbs, like basil, turn black at the edges when you cut them with a knife. Many people tear the herbs or use scissors to prevent this rotten spinach look, though there is no harm in the edges turning back.

Italian Salsa Verde

I am a true believer that roasting is the best way to create the perfect mouthful of eggplant. More so, baking these Mediterranean vegetables at a very high heat in the oven can transform soggy, dull pieces of jarred artichokes into fresh, crispy marvels. I toss the eggplant and artichokes piping hot with a simple salsa verde--chives, parsley, anchovy paste, lemon juice and capers--and pile them high over a simple filet of fish. You can use any leftover herbs for the salsa, and any sturdy fish as the center-piece. But what really makes these simple Mediterranean flavors come together, and gives the eggplant an extra salty bite, is the anchovy paste in the salsa.

Roasted Eggplant with Artichoke Hearts and Salsa Verde

Salsa verde is a great way to make the most of your summer herbs.  Just pulse a combination of fresh herbs with plenty of olive oil, a little garlic, and a couple of anchovies, and you've got a condiment that can be used to top a steak, dress pasta, gussy up scrambled eggs, or smear over grilled flatbread.  

Grilled Steak Salad with Italian Salsa Verde 

I always love halibut, but this salsa is magic. I would serve it over any firm white fish, over rice and beans, as a dip with chips, or in a bowl with a spoon! 

Pan Seared Halibut with Mango-Avocado Salsa

A thick, spicy, nutty salsa that hails from the state of Veracruz in Mexico, salsa macha is great atop tostados, tacos, and many other things (I first ate it tossed in a butternut squash salad). 

A few notes: the salsa macha can be made 1 week ahead (cover and chill it). The poached chicken can be prepared in advance, then re-warmed before serving. Alternatively, you can substitute it with 3 cups of shredded rotisserie chicken.

Chicken Tostadas with Salsa Macha and Asparagus-Radish Slaw

This recipe is a combination of two different recipes: the tamales are from Chef Tello Carreon (formerly of Nixta in St. Louis), and the salsa verde Chef Kaelin Ulrich Trilling (formerly of Nashville's Bajo Sexto). The chicken that fills the tamales is stewed in the salsa verde, and the extra salsa verde is used as... well, salsa. Featured in: 

Chicken Tamales de Salsa Verde

This is more of a guide than anything. Adjust with what you have on hand— use red onion in place of the shallot, jalapeño in place of the Serrano, other herbs in place of the cilantro, etc. I like serving this salsa with these 

Simple Orange Salsa

At virtually all times, Cal Peternell’s 4-ingredient marvel sauce can be within reach—a smart way to dispense with herbs in the crisper, and a last-minute dinner savior in one. Adapted slightly from 

Cal Peternell’s Fried Herb Salsa

This POW-erful salsa is from Cal Peternell's new book, A Recipe for Cooking. Eat it on toast with goat cheese, as Cal was introduced to it, or stirred into rice and roast vegetables, as a salad dressing, over fish, and so forth, as I have done.

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